


And We Keep Falling

by AloneShadow



Series: Whumptober 2020 [4]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Bromance, Caring Jack Dalton (MacGyver TV 2016), Missions Gone Wrong, Sick Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Sleep Deprivation, Unexpected Kiss, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:33:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26873734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AloneShadow/pseuds/AloneShadow
Summary: "Maybe it was just not a good day; maybe they were not in the right mood… Or maybe it was because Mac didn’t tell anyone he has been sick for a few days prior to the mission."
Series: Whumptober 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948396
Comments: 2
Kudos: 30





	And We Keep Falling

**Author's Note:**

> The Whumptober saga continues-- 
> 
> Prompts used: N7 Carrying + N27 Exhaustion 
> 
> NOTE: I haven't tagged this fic m/m because I don't really see it fitting in the category. I wasn't thinking about the ending scene in _that way_ when I wrote it (I actually didn't consider any aftermath from this at all), but I guess is open to interpretation. Nothing smutty enough to call out the ship, anyway. Just a heads-up.*

Jack should have seen it coming. He knew it would have happened, eventually- and time was rarely on their favor.

Their last mission took him and Mac to the other side of the world, with hours spent simply flying to their destination... That alone was stressful enough- still, they were used to it. 

Maybe it was just not a good day; maybe they were not in the right mood… Or maybe it was because Mac didn’t tell anyone he has been sick for a few days prior starting the mission. 

“I’m fine now, stop asking,” Mac told him before they entered the building and bullets started flying from all directions. 

Jack didn’t think much about it because if Mac says he’s fine, there's no point in asking again- it’s not like he would have admitted he wasn’t feeling alright or something… So they proceeded with their mission, got the biological weapons the enemies were trying to sell, and left… Or tried to: it turned out the bad guys had half of an army as backups, and Jack didn’t have enough bullets for all of them, so, their only choice was to run. 

They kept running _a lot_ , and that was what none of them was expecting: the chase lasted almost a whole day, _and_ they lose contact with the Phoenix.

Despite the messy situation, what Jack was ready for- what he was _always_ ready for- was to keep going and protect his friend, no matter what. Stamina wasn’t a problem- not yet anyway, but, in the night, he saw Mac slowing down, and that was indeed alarming. 

“You ok there, bud?” Jack asked, breathing fast while keeping an eye on the surroundings. 

“Yeah.” 

He turned to Mac, finding him with a hand on the wall for support. “Yeah?” 

“Yes, I’m fine.” Mac nervously repeated, standing straight. “The capsule?” 

“Safe here.” Jack said patting on the pocket of his jacket. 

Mac nodded and proceeded, walking past him. 

“Look, I think we can stop for a minute. We've been running around all day. I’m sure they’re getting tired too.” Jack said following him. 

“Doubt it.” 

“Come on. I bet they give up-“ Jack was interrupted by the sound of tires screeching on the street, and, turning around, he saw two cars coming in their direction. “God, these people have a Captain America level of persistence…” 

“This way,” Mac said, gesturing on the left. 

“Wait- Mac, I think that’s a dead end.” 

“It’ll take us back to the woods.” 

“Are you sure? Becasue-” Jack groaned, making his way into the bushes, trying to follow the barely visible trail- if one actually ever existed, "Because the village is on top of a hill, and I remember only one way down-“ 

Jack instinct acted faster than his brain, but he only managed to grab Mac’s arm before they both fell down the cliff: Jack tried to hold and protect him as much as possible as they rolled down, until he crashed into a tree and was forced to let Mac go, sliding to the end of their fall. 

“Ugh… Why no one ever listens to me?” Jack groaned laying on his back for a few seconds before sitting up and looking around, noticing Mac’s body not too far. “Mac?” He called standing up. “Hey- Mac?” Kneeling next to him, Jack sighed in relief as the blonde opened his eyes and looked up at him. 

Mac coughed a bit, a few cuts over his face, and just said, “My bad…” 

That's how Jack realized the kid had reached his limit. “ _My bad_? That’s all you have to say?” 

“…Sorry?” 

“You- Mac, I don't mind jumping off a cliff with or for you, but this is getting out of control,” Jack said helping him sitting up, passing a sleeve over Mac’s cuts to clean them from the dirt. 

“I don’t want you to jump down a cliff for me…” 

“What do you think happened just now?” 

Mac blinked and looked behind them, and then his mouth closed. Turning to him, he looked as if the realization just hit him. “I… Sorry, I…”

“It’s ok, we’re both fine, but I’m worried about you, man. Are you feeling alright?” 

"Yeah..."

Jack quickly supported him as he tried to stand, clearly having problems keeping his balance. “Ok, Mac? Look at me for a sec?” 

Mac looked up from the ground, meeting his eyes. 

Jack studied him. “How long since you got some sleep?” 

“I told you, I’m fine-“ Mac insisted, promptly crashing against him. 

“Yeah, I can see that,” Jack sighed, moving Mac’s arm over his shoulders as they started walking, holding him by the wrist while keeping the other arm around his waist. 

“I can walk…” 

“No, you can’t. You can barely function at the moment and you want to know why?” 

“No…” 

“Because you said you were fine even if you’re not. You haven’t slept in at least a few days, and you accepted the mission anyway.” 

“It’s not that bad.” 

“Really? Jumping down a cliff wasn’t bad enough for you?” 

“Jack…” 

“Because in that case, we’ll need to reevaluate a lot of bad decisions we took in the past.” 

Mac sighed, “I’m sorry about the cliff…” 

“That’s not the problem-" 

"It Isn't?"

"No. The problem is you not being honest with me. I’ve been asking you what’s wrong since we landed and you just kept lying at my face. And this is the result!” 

After a moment spent walking in silence, staring at the ground, Mac murmured, “I’ve slept three hours in the last couple of days.” 

Jack took a deep breath, trying to keep a calm tone. “Why is that?” 

“I was sick... Just a cold. Then I just… I couldn’t sleep.” 

“And?” 

“And I should’ve told you and Matty before coming here.” 

_“And?”_

Mac sighed, resigned. “And my head hurts.” 

“If you didn't look so miserable already, I would have punched you on the nose.” 

“No, you wouldn’t…” 

“Probably not, but still.” Jack barked, looking behind them. “At least that jump might have helped us get some distance from- hey,” he stopped and held him tighter as Mac suddenly has gone limp against him. “Mac? Hey?” 

Mac flinched, blinking fast and trying to balance himself again. “Sorry, I… Feel dizzy.” 

“You should be resting in a bed, not here, running and jumping down cliffs,” Jack commented, worried, proceeding down the path. 

“We need… Matty… Call…” 

“I know, I know… Hold on,” Jack carefully let him lean against a tree while he checked for the phone. “Good news is the capsule is still intact... And we also got signal again!” he added.

“Great…” Mac murmured, bending aside, forcing him to hold him again. 

“I’ll send our coordinates to Riley and ask for the extraction point,” Jack said writing the message with one hand while holding Mac with the other. As he finished, he put the phone away and turned to him: his friend looked ready to faint, his eyes half closed. “Mac, you need to sleep.” 

“You mean now?” he murmured, forcing some sarcasm into his voice. 

“I can carry you on my back.” Jack shrugged, but the other shook his head in no. “You can barely stand-“ 

“Just- like before… It’s fine.” 

Jack sighed and moved Mac’s arm over his shoulders again. He wasn’t used hearing him talk like that, missing half of the sentence... Jack could easily tell what he meant, but still... A _bling_ from the phone forced him to stop again and check on it, holding him the best he could. “Ok… We got the extraction point. I remember this parking lot was behind a shoe factory. Bozer will be there, waiting for us.” He looked away from the screen when Mac fell against him again. “It's just ahead, down the hill. Think you can stay awake a while longer?” 

“Yeah…” 

Jack sighed and put the phone away, holding him tightly around his waist again- watching Mac returning the gesture, moving his free arm around Jack's torso. Jack laughed, “You can use me a pillow once we're safe, ok? We just need to reach the parking-” 

“I know…” 

“And I can't walk with you like this, so… Mind let go?” Jack watched him looking up, and he wasn’t sure what Mac’s face was showing… He saw that expression before, he was sure of it, but couldn’t pinpoint the moment. 

Mac looked away and dropped his left arm from around him. “I need to sleep…” 

“Yes, you do.” Jack scoffed, proceeding down the hill. 

“Exhaustion…” he said after a while. 

“What?” 

“I'm… It’s exhaustion…” 

“Well, you sure look pretty exhausted.” 

“The headache… Dizziness… My arms hurt…” 

“What? They do?” 

“And the… The weakness,” Mac took a deep breath. “Miss one…” 

“One what?” 

“A symptom.” 

“I think I got the idea... Hey, that’s the factory,” Jack said with a smile, noticing the street not too far below, and the building on the other side. “We just need-!” Tripping on a root was enough for him to lose his balance and be dragged down with Mac, rolling a few times on the grass and leaves, landing hard on his back just next to the road. “Ow... I’ve had enough of falling for today…” He groaned. 

Laying on top of him, Mac slowly pushed himself up, enough to look tiredly at him. “That hurt.” 

“And who do you think is to blame for-“ Jack was interrupted as Mac leaned down and kissed him. Still holding his arm, all he could do was blink in surprise, finding those lips unexpectedly warm. _Fever?_ he wondered.

Mac opened his eyes as he pulled back so slightly, staring at him while saying, “I remember now.” 

“… Huh?” It was all Jack managed to say. 

“The symptom,” Mac murmured, “Compromised… Decision making.” 

Jack frowned, then opened his mouth so say something, just to stop again as Mac collapsed on top of him. “Mac? You ok?” Jack asked, shaking him, but his partner was unconscious. 

For a moment, Jack just blinked, still elaborating, dropping his head on the ground. "Ok... That just happened." He commented. He then shook his head and forced himself to focus and stand up to carry his friend to safety, because that was always the priority. 

_He won’t remember even half of this mission, anyway,_ , Jack told himself grinning a bit, crossing the road and passing past the factory. When he saw Bozer waving at them from the parking lot, standing next to their car, he took a deep, relieved breath, knowing that Mac was safe.


End file.
